X	Courage is the finest of human qualities because it guarantees all others. Winston Churchill

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Dear Pilots and Aviation Enthusiasts:

Welcome to the 14th edition of Over the Airwaves.  This online aviation newsletter began back in May simply as a means to provide more useful information to my flight students.  Its readership rapidly expanded as I began to include my aviation colleagues on the mailing list.  Many of these people forwarded their copies of Over the Airwaves to their aviation friends who, in turn, added their names to the mailing list.  Before long, our audience expanded into the hundreds . . . and continues to grow every month.  I am pleased to note that many of our readers now include staffers from the FAA including ATC and FSS, plus the NTSB, AOPA, EAA, and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI).

I  recently polled several of our readers, asking them what makes Over the Airwaves different from the other online and print aviation resources that blanket the aviation community.  Their responses were all similar.  They said that Over the Airwaves touches on topics in a refreshing, no punches pulled, fashion.  Its content is not cleansed by legal departments, its subject matter is not dictated by sponsors, and it is not written in a sterile, training manual or textbook fashion.  Most importantly, they said it is relevant to real world, in-the-system flying.

My purpose in preparing Over the Airwaves two or three times each month is, first and foremost, to encourage improvements in the way we teach people to fly.  As you will see in this issue, over two-thirds (72.6%) of all general aviation accidents are attributed to pilot error!    Aircraft manufacturers are making safer airplanes.  We have better weather forecasting capability than ever before.  We have space-age glass panels.  Conflicting traffic, rising terrain, and thunderstorms set off automatic cockpit alarms.  We now have near universal radar coverage, thus improving ATC services . . . yet we continue to experience about the same dismal accident rate that we've had since the dawn of regulated flight in the 1940s.  The only aspect of aviation that has remained largely unchanged is flight training!

I should point out that I am not a training expert.  I am not a conventional classroom teacher by training nor profession.  But I do have a good deal of experience flying in the national airspace system, slogging through the clag in the low, turbulent, flight levels.  I regularly experience the challenges of single pilot IFR in the worst weather imaginable.  As a flight instructor who specializes in advanced flight training procedures, I observe many pilots who come to me from the various flight training programs around the community.  And, frankly, it's scary!

And the problem is getting worse!  Private pilots are stepping up to sleeker, faster, more powerful airplanes including a new array of very light jets without the benefit of corporate, airline, or military training departments to hone their skills.  You better believe the aviation insurance industry is concerned about this!  Right now, a 200 hour private pilot with an instrument rating can expect to pay an annual $12,000 premium to own and operate a new Mooney. 

My hope is that something said in Over the Airwaves might cause a pilot to stop for a moment and think about his or her own state of pilot preparedness.  I am hopeful that another flight instructor or flight school might pause, perhaps taking issue with something that I have said, then think about ways they can improve upon it.  And, lastly, I am hopeful that I might influence an aviation decision-maker in the FAA or other aviation organizations to question the way things are being done in the area of flight training.

There is one more reader that I hope to serve.  That reader is the pilot who has folded his or her wings because of age or medical condition.  I want to give that pilot a vicarious opportunity to continue plying his or her trade and/or love of aviation.  If I can succeed at this, I will be content in my work.

Sincerely,

Bob Miller, ATP, CFII

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Good Community Relations Wins Approval for Akron Airport Improvements

"We had the vision, the plans, and the money to bring the Akron (NY) Airport into the 21st century," said Larry Cummings, President of Christian Airmen, Inc., owner/operators of the Akron Airport.  "The only thing we lacked were the necessary town and village government approvals to go ahead with the project."

Weeks turned into months, and months into years as a handful of nearby community residents vigorously lobbied against the airport improvements.  These improvements included over $6 million in runway and taxi way expansions, storage facilities, perimeter fencing, and 20 new airplane hangars.  The local zoning board refused to issue the necessary variances to allow the project to go forth.  Despite several years of wrangling between airport and local government officials, it was beginning to look like the improvement projects would never take place.

Last year, I flew the Christian Airmen, Inc. officers down to Frederick, MD to seek the advice and counsel of AOPA.  They helped us set the stage for one last diplomatic push.  We also formed the Friends of Akron Airport to add political muscle to the effort.  A strict noise abatement program was developed and supported by Akron pilots. 

Right and reason eventually prevailed.  Local elected officials began to understand the powerful economic impact of the Akron Airport.  Neighboring businesses like Perry's Ice Cream spoke in strong defense of the airport improvement plans.  Neighbors were assured of the airport's intent to be good citizens and  to work together for the community good.  All in all, the process worked and the Akron Airport was granted all the necessary approvals to complete its long awaited improvement plans.  Pictured above are several of the new hangars now under construction.

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The Instrument Rating . . . A Ticket to Disaster

It's no secret to most informed pilots that the number-one cause of all weather related fatal accidents is continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions (IMC).  But did you know that more than one quarter (27%) of these victims are IFR rated? [Source: AOPA Air Safety Foundation, Weather Strategies, 2003]  This sad statistic should cause every IFR rated pilot to sit up and take note!

The typical flight scenario goes something like this.  An IFR rated pilot, perhaps a bit rusty on his or her skills, takes off on a VFR flight.  He knows the weather along his route of flight is a bit marginal, but being instrument rated, he proceeds . . . knowing that he has the credentials to extricate himself if he encounters less than VFR weather.  Sure enough, it happens.  The visibility begins to decline, the ceiling lowers, and ground contact is lost.  Instead of making a hasty retreat back to good VFR weather, he motors on, hoping for improvement.

The weather worsens, so he calls ATC and requests an IFR clearance.  Stumbling through the proper phraseology, the pilot manages to obtain a clearance to his destination.  The quickening loss of outside visual references produces sweaty palms.  He doesn't have current IFR charts or plates on board.  ATC begins vectoring him to fixes or intersections he's never heard before.   Anxiety builds and his thought becomes confused.   The gauges are swinging before his face but he can't interpret them properly.  The airplane sounds like its going faster and faster; a quick glance at the attitude indicator shows him in a 40 degree bank as the altimeter begins to unwind.  He pulls back on the yoke to regain lost altitude. 

Our man struggles for understanding.  "I've done this many times before," he shouts to himself.  "Why can't I do this now?" 

He makes a panicky call to ATC.  "I'm having difficulty maintaining control.  I'm not sure where I am.  I think I'm turning."

The controller, instantly recognizing this classic scenario, has little to offer but calming assurance.  In all likelihood, the controller is clearing the airspace ahead of the errant pilot.

And the rest of this story . . . sadly unfolds in the morning's newspapers.  

FACT:  If you are instrument rated and have not seriously flown on the gauges in the past six months, the above scenario could easily be YOU!

"Not me," you say in earnest self-denial.  "I've got lots of flying experience!"

Well, here's another pretty scary statistic.  44% of all fatalities resulting from continued VFR flight into IMC conditions occur to pilots who have logged more than 1,000 hours!  [Source: AOPA Air Safety Foundation, Weather Strategies, 2003]    You're not immune after all.

SOLUTION:  Here it is, plain and simple.  If you ever plan to call upon your IFR skills to control your airplane, GET CURRENT!

Proficient instrument skills are difficult to acquire and, like fresh strawberries, spoil quickly.  How quickly?  I fly nearly 600 hours a year, with many of those hours solely by reference to the gauges, so I stay sharp.  BUT . . . if more than a month goes by and I have not flown an instrument approach to minimums . . . . I, too, get sweaty palms! 

Here's why . . .   

We spend 24 hours a day, every day moving around according to our internal senses, e.g., sight, hearing, feeling, balance, touch, etc.  We become conditioned to believe what the balance center of our inner ear shouts at us.  Proficient instrument pilots develop a keen ability to IGNORE these body signals.  Proficient instrument pilots are conditioned to FOCUS on those six little gauges on the instrument panel that provide critical flight information.  Proficient instrument pilots can see all six gauges at once . . . properly interpreting their combined meaning.

Unfortunately, these proficient instrument skills deteriorate in a matter of days and weeks . . . . not years as some might believe.  The ONLY way to protect and preserve these delicate instrument skills is to get back in the airplane and fly in the soup.  No, I do not mean under the hood or in a flight simulator, because those devices are about as realistic as a tanning booth is compared to a sandy, white Caribbean beach.   I mean in the clag, the turbulence . . .  the opaque, frost-covered cockpit windows, with sweat dripping from your forehead, down to minimums WITH a qualified CFII.    You need to hear the body forces screaming in your ear to turn when you're upright and to climb when you're descending.  Your goal is to deaden your body's signals and sharpen your brain's ability to properly interpret the gauges.  Believe me, you're not going to get this "under the hood" or in a simulator!

If you are willing to pay the dentist to examine and clean your teeth every six months, then you should be willing to get with an experienced CFII and go through an honest-to-goodness Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC) every six months  (the cost will probably be about the same - I have an expensive dentist - but he's good!)   No, an IPC is NOT a test.  Rather, its a refresher/training session designed to put lead in your IFR pencil. 

If you're not prepared to do this . . . stay out of the clouds!

But, if you are a proficient IFR pilot, you will be safe in even the most troubling skies.  You will maneuver confidently, with your family and friends on board,  in, under, around, and through the turbulent clag to find a smooth ride through clear skies to your destination.  It is a known fact that pilots on IFR flight plans continually fly in and through better weather than their VFR-only counterparts . . . because they can easily climb above the crud into the warm sunshine above. 

 

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"Slow and Steady Wins the Race"  -  David Schuh Passes Private Pilot Checkride

David Schuh is an example of the fairytale line, "slow and steady wins the race!  Here's a guy whose fascination with flight began 34 years ago when, at the age of 16, his older brother took him for his first ride in a small airplane.  From that day forward, Dave knew he wanted to become a pilot.   Unfortunately, many of his friends did not agree.  They gave him all the classic reasons for NOT flying . . . . it's too expensive . . . . it's dangerous . . . . you have to be in perfect health!

Sadly, Dave allowed his friends to influence him.  He put his dream of becoming a pilot on hold for the next 20 years.

Then, in December, 1998, Dave called the Akron Airport and was introduced to Bob Smith, CFI.    They took a couple hour training flight together.  "Money was very tight back then," says Dave.  "We were raising a couple of kids and flying at the same time simply wasn't in the cards for me," adds Dave.  So he allowed his dream of becoming a pilot fade.

But his dream wasn't dead yet . . .

The following year, Dave decided to get his medical and resume flight instruction.  He took several months of instruction at the Buffalo Airfield . . . then decided to give it a rest for another year!  Too many things to do and too little money all were working against him.

Down, but not out, Dave gave his first instructor, Bob Smith, another call.  They agreed to resume training at the Akron Airport.  This time he was committed to finishing up.  They flew together until he eventually soloed.  Shortly thereafter, the money ran out.  With a son getting ready for college, Dave focused his financial priorities on his family.

Two more years pass . . .

By this time, Dave's medical expired.  Decision time. Does he give his dream of flying or does he give it another try?   Dave decided to march on.  He called Bob Smith, again, and they agreed to resume flight instruction.  "Bob Smith is a saint," says Dave.  "He never gave up on me!" 

This time Dave decided to stick with it.  His son's college tuition was cutting deep into the family budget, but time was also running out.  He struggled with the budget to allow him to train once a month or so . . . for the next two years! 

The rest is . . . history

David Schuh passed his checkride this past week!  "How did it go," I asked?

"I never flew so bad in life," he replied.  "I was a nervous wreck!"

Dave had developed a severe case of "checkride-itis" (fear of checkrides).   Who wouldn't, I figured.  This checkride was the culmination of 34 years of start-stop-start-stop training.  He had committed his heart and soul in this effort over the entire previous two years.  It all was coming down to this one important checkride!  Dave rallied.  He pulled himself together and did what he had to do!

Congratulations, Dave . . . . and now it's on to the instrument rating!

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Icing - To Be or Not to Be?

There you are in a non-known ice airplane, descending through a cold layer of clouds . . . with light ice beginning to build on the wings and windscreen.  Your CFII dutifully told you never to launch into icing conditions.   You are well aware of FAR 91.527 which prohibits flight into known or forecast moderate icing.  You've heard many horror stories about icing-related accidents in general aviation aircraft.   Nonetheless, there you are in the bad stuff.   Do you dare file a pilot report (PIREP) with ATC about your icing conditions?  If you do, will you incriminate yourself for breaking the rules?

Welcome to One of the Biggest "Old Wives' Tales" in Aviation

The controller's primary job is to separate traffic.  He or she supplements the job of issuing clearances and vectors by passing along other useful weather information like ride reports, cloud tops, convective activity . . . and icing reports.  The last thing a controller is is an enforcement officer!  If you check the FAA's file of certificate actions taken against pilots of non-known ice aircraft for filing icing pireps, you'll find none!   To take disciplinary action against a pilot for filing an icing pirep runs contrary to everything ATC hopes to accomplish in separating traffic.  It is simply not done!  I have filed dozens of icing pireps in my Cessna 210 and never suffered even the slightest reprimand from ATC.  Yes, my 210 is certified for flight into known icing conditions, but ATC doesn't know that . . . and they've never asked!  I've also filed numerous icing pireps, both positive and negative, while flying small, training aircraft which are not certified for flight into known ice.

But What if I Require ATC Assistance to Escape Icing Conditions?

First of all, that's ATC's job - to provide assistance.  If you need an immediate clearance for higher or lower to escape ice, I can assure you that ATC will comply immediately with your request.  But what if this request creates a conflict with another aircraft?  Controllers can move you or other aircraft left or right, up or down.  In most situations, the controller can accommodate your request anywhere, anytime without causing a loss of separation with another aircraft.  And this all can be done without anybody saying the "E" word (E=emergency).

Well . . . What If You Do Declare an Icing Emergency?  Will ATC Bust You?

This very situation happened to Kelly Brannen and me on recent flight over the Sierra Nevada mountains.  Kelly's Piper Archer began accumulating ice at 13,500' at about the same time that his engine began to quit.  I immediately advised ATC of both the ice accumulation and our engine problem, declared an emergency, and requested vectors to the nearest airport.   The controller calmly complied with our request.   The entire matter was a non-event to the controller.  He followed his procedures;  we followed ours . . . and we landed safely.    No follow-up action was ever taken by ATC.

Pilots in the Northern Climates Have Two Choices . . . Remain on the Ground from November to March or Learn to Deal with Ice!

The first choice is fine for fly-in breakfast, recreational-only pilots.  But for the rest of us, we'd better learn to deal with this stuff.  Here's a couple of truths you can hang your hat on:

• Weather Forecasts are not 100% accurate.  Forecasts of clear skies at your destination may not hold up.  You may have to make an unplanned descent through ice-laden clouds.

• The absence of icing in the forecast and negative icing reports does not mean that you won't encounter ice somewhere on your trip.

• Most wintertime stratiform clouds do NOT contain ice.

• Ice is where you find it.  Its precise location cannot be predicted.

• Icing typically exists in narrow bands less than 2,000 feet thick.

• Visible moisture (clouds) contain water droplet less than 30 microns in diameter.  Water droplets must grow to 100 microns or larger before they pose an icing threat to aircraft.

• MOST IMPORTANT:  Always file either positive or negative icing pireps when in winter clouds!

One of my students is a surgeon.  I recently asked him if he took any particular or unique safety precautions when treating an HIV/AIDS patient.  He replied, "We assume EVERY patient has HIV/AIDs and treat them all with the same precautions."  That's precisely the way we, in the northern climates, should regard every winter flight we take.  Assume icing IS there, and plan accordingly!  Ask for icing pireps before you launch;  issue icing pireps, positive or negative, anytime you penetrate freezing clouds.

For more on icing by AVWEBs Editor, Mike Busch, click Here

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It's Getting Dark . . . What Must I Do?

Let's face it . . . if you fly in the northern latitudes in the winter, you'll likely either land or take off in the dark.  This introduces a number of factors that you cannot afford to neglect.  Several of these factors are listed below:

Definition:  Night means the time between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of morning civil twilight, as published in the American Air Almanac, converted to local time.

Carrying Passengers:  FAR 61.57: (b) Night takeoff and landing experience. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (e) of this section, no person may act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, unless within the preceding 90 days that person has made at least three takeoffs and three landings to a full stop during the period beginning 1 hour after sunset and ending 1 hour before sunrise, and -- (i) That person acted as sole manipulator of the flight controls; and (ii) The required takeoffs and landings were performed in an aircraft of the same category, class, and type (if a type rating is required).

Position Lights: FAR 91.209 No person may: (a) During the period from sunset to sunrise (1) Operate an aircraft unless it has lighted position lights;

Cockpit Lighting: Interior lighting in most general aviation aircraft is notoriously poor, particularly in older aircraft.  A flashlight is an essential piece of night flying equipment.  Don't launch at night without one or, ideally, two flashlights, each with fresh batteries.

Emergency Landing Sites:  Where to go if the engine suddenly fails should be on every pilot's mind, during every minute of flight!  Suitable emergency landing site options at night are severely limited. While tempting, roads with street lights should be avoided because of the risks associated with power lines and other electrical apparatus. Major four lane highways typically make suitable emergency landing sites.   A moving map GPS can be effective in steering you to such roadways.  In the absence of any other indications, steer away from populated areas.

Minimum Fuel Requirements:  FAR 91.151: (a) No person may begin a flight in an airplane under VFR conditions unless (considering wind and forecast weather conditions) there is enough fuel to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising speed -- (1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or (2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes.

Like anything else in aviation, if you want to get comfortable flying at night . . . go out and fly at night. 

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Our band of 10 Akron High School flight students moved from the classroom to the airport to begin the actual flight training.  Pictured left are the first three students [with flight instructor, Bob Miller] to actually go airborne.  This was the very first airplane flight ever, in any airplane, for the young lady in this photo!

Each student will log one hour at the controls as part of this two semester course.  Upon course completion next June, these 10 students will take the FAA private pilot knowledge test.  Those who elect to complete the flight training portion of the curriculum will go on to receive their private pilot certificate.  In addition to classroom and flight training, these 10 students will be taking field trips to the Buffalo Air Traffic Control facilities, the U.S. Weather Service, and other local aviation sites.  This after school course is being sponsored by Christian Airmen, Inc., owner/operators of the Akron, NY Airport.  Aircraft rental discounts are being given and I am contributing my flight instructional services.

The future of aviation rests on these kids . . .

Go to any group, forum, or assembly of pilots and you'll see a lot of gray and balding heads!  You certainly will not see many young people.  This tells us a lot about the advancing average age of today's pilots!  Unless we all do something to attract young people into the wonderful world of flight, we will continue to see the number of GA pilots dwindle . . . . and, with that, the influence we pilots have on federal and state legislation that impacts where we fly, how we fly, and when we fly.

Each of us should make it a point to bring a young person out to the airport, to the next Aero Club meeting, the next safety seminar . . . and to the mother of all aviation events - Oshkosh!  Start a high school flight training class in your community.  Introduce a youngster to the Civil Air Patrol.  Take a kid on a flight.  There's lots of things we can do to bring more young people into aviation.

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Wrong Call Sign Results in Fatal Crash

On May 10, 2004, a twin Piper crashed into terrain just southeast San Diego.  Its pilot was complying with radar vectors intended for another aircraft with a similar call-sign.   The fatal aircraft crash occurred in mountainous terrain shortly after completion of a radar handoff and communications transfer from an en route to a terminal facility. At the time, there were three aircraft with similar call signs on the terminal controller's frequency.  The controller used an abbreviated call sign when issuing the descent clearance.

This crash is filled with senseless errors.  The pilot apparently lost his position awareness relative to the nearby mountains.  The controller violated ATC procedures when he used an abbreviated call sign when airplanes with similar sounding call signs were in his sector  [The Controllers Handbook 7110.65, paragraph 2-4-20 states that you shall, "Use the full identification in reply to aircraft with similar sounding identifications."]

Lesson to be learned from this accident include:

Position Awareness:  Pilots should never surrender their position awareness to ATC. Even when buried inside the clouds, we have sufficient navigational aids to give us our exact position at all times.   DO NOT rely upon ATC to keep you clear of obstacle!

Use of Abbreviated Call Signs:  Always use your full call sign on your first call up and any time there is another aircraft on your frequency with a similar sounding call sign.

The preliminary NTSB crash investigation report can be found HERE.

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AOPA's Guide to TSA's Alien Flight Training/Citizenship Validation Rule

AOPA finally made some sense out of the Alien Flight Training Rule in a masterfully designed website.  Click HERE to see how this new rule affects all pilots, American and foreign, who are pursuing a private pilot certificate as well as those pilots training for additional ratings.

This is MUST reading for all CFIs!

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Master Smooth Landings . . . By the Numbers

I am proud to have developed what some might call a "boutique" flight training practice.  All of my current students are exceptionally bright people who either own their own businesses or are practicing professionals, e.g., physicians, accountants, and attorneys.  The one unique characteristic that they all have in common is a keen understanding of numbers.  None of them rose to a level of prominence in their respective fields by feeling their way along the path of life.   Instead, each person set specific performance standards for themselves, then they measured their progress against these standards.

This understanding of numbers translates very easily to learning to fly.  My job as their instructor is to establish precisely what those numbers should be.  Once they know these numbers, my students quickly grasp the various flight maneuvers.  Using their own skill sets, each student quickly learns to fly these maneuvers to ATP (airline transport pilot) standards.  Below is an example of this.

The Key to a Good Landing is a Good Approach . . .

The approach to landing sequence begins as the pilot transitions from the enroute phase of flight to the traffic pattern.  This requires him or her to enter the traffic pattern precisely at the traffic pattern altitude (TPA) and at the specified indicated airspeed.  In the Piper Archer or Cessna 172, (which will used for the rest of this discussion) this speed is 90 knots.  This requires a bit of advance planning which typically begins 3 miles out.  To accomplish this, the power is set precisely at 2,200 RPM.

As the pilot enters the down wind leg and passes abeam the arrival end of the runway, he reduces power to 1,900 RPM and adjusts his pitch attitude to maintain 90 knots. At no more than 1/4 to 1/2 mile beyond the runway, the pilot makes his left base turn and makes a further power reduction to 1,700 RPM and adjusts pitch to maintain 80 knots.  He makes fine pitch adjustments so that he turns on final precisely 600 feet above the airport.  He then reduces power to 1,400 RPM and adjusts pitch to maintain 65 knots on final.  I leave flap management up to the student . . . he can use whatever he likes to help achieve his numbers.

Here Comes the Critical Technique . . .

Airplanes are like people . . . they each operate best at certain critical numbers.  In people, 98.6 degrees F. is the perfect temperature.  In airplanes, specifically the Piper Archer (with two people and a three-quarter fuel load), the perfect touch-down to landing speed (full flaps) is 48 knots.  That's perfect!  Now, if you attempt to touch down at, say, 55 knots, the airplane will likely balloon or bounce.  If you attempt to touch down below 48 knots, the airplane will have an extreme pitch up attitude and an airborne stall will likely follow.  The target number is 48 knots.  This target number will vary by 5 knots depending upon your specific landing flap setting and the actual weight of your airplane. 

The critical number on the final approach to landing is AIRSPEED.  Therefore, I have the pilot call out his airspeed every 15 seconds or so when on final.  This call out is necessary to insure that the pilot has the airspeed indicator in his instrument scan throughout the entire landing sequence.  He quickly learns that if his airspeed is above 60 knots when he flares for landing, he will use up substantially more runway distance before slowing to the required 48 knots for touch down.  If he flares below 60 knots, he'll likely encounter an airborne stall unless he times the flare and landing perfectly.  Thus, the target speed for flaring is 60 knots.

Here's the Ultimate Significance of Flying by the Numbers . . .

Most light, single engine airplanes are very forgiving in terms of flying speeds.  You can mash them down at 90 knots or you can let them drop in at 38 knots with little damage to the airplane . . . and certainly within the runway lengths of most general aviation airports.  They are designed to take a beating . . . and keep on ticking, as they say.

This is not so on high performance singles, multi's, and certainly all jet aircraft.  Remember the notion of PRIMACY of LEARNING discussed above?  If you learn to fly by the numbers, your transition to high performance airplanes will be much easier.  As a case in point, I was never taught to fly by the numbers.  When I transitioned to my Cessna 210, a high performance single, I ran through three sets of tires and several brake linings trying to land on short runways!   

The key is to determine the perfect numbers for the airplane YOU fly.  Use the above numbers as a starting point, then adjust yours as necessary to obtain the perfect touch down speed for your airplane in its particular configuration.

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Icing: Go/No-Go Decisions . . .

There you are, standing on the ramp at KBUF with your CFII trying to decide if the weather is okay to fly.  The surface temperature is 33 degrees F. and the overcast cloud bases are at 1,700' AGL.  Tops are reported to be at 6,000' MSL.  Do you launch?   Answer:  Why Not?  Take off and train!

The answer to any related question such as this falls under a category I call:  "Back Door Analysis."  A "back door" is an aviation euphemism for "escape route."  In the weather scenario above, "Back Door Analysis" reveals that if I take off  into the low, 1,700' cloud layer and encounter ice, will I have an escape route? 

Here are three factors to consider when making a wintertime go/no-go decision:

1 - What is the MVA (Minimum Vectoring Altitude) for the area I'll be training in?

What is the first thing the pilot does when encountering icing?  Yup . . . the pilot calls ATC and suggests the escape route s/he already has in the back of his mind.  Remember, it is NOT the controller's job to tell the pilot what to do!  The controller will always ask you for your intentions.  In our scenario, the escape route is easy.  You simply request lower to 2,300'.  You know that this altitude will put you back into clear, ice-free skies below. Recall that the cloud bases were reported at 1,700' AGL.  This is equal to 2,400' MSL in the Buffalo area.  You also know that your requested 2,300' altitude is at the MVA for your training area.

What if the overcast cloud bases were at 1,500' AGL?  If you encountered icing in the clouds and requested a lower altitude, the controller cannot get you below his MVA (2,300' MSL or 1,700' AGL).  You would, in fact, be stuck in the icy clouds without an escape route . . . . which is never a good place to be!

2 - What is the FREEZING level for the area I'll be training In?

Suppose the surface temperature is 40 degrees F. and the overcast cloud bases are 1,200' AGL?  Do you launch?  Answer:  Why Not?   Take off and train!

Your "Back Door Analysis" reveals that if you encounter icing in the clouds, you can request lower to the MVA . . . . which still leaves you in the clouds . . . but the OAT (outside temperature) 2,300' MSL will be above freezing.  Remember, at a normal temperature lapse rate, temperature decreases by 3.9 degrees F for each 1,000 feet of altitude [3.9 x 1.6 = 6.24 degrees].  Subtract 6.24 degrees from the surface temperature of 40 degrees = 33.76 degrees.

3 - Where is the LOW PRESSURE area relative to the area I'll be training in?

In the Northern Hemisphere air enters a low pressure area at the surface, then spirals upward in a counter clockwise direction.  This air cools as it rises and condenses into clouds and precipitation.  This is why a low is typically associated with poor weather.

The location of our training area relative to the position of the low can tell us where the worst icing is likely to occur.  Let's say that the low is located over Pittsburgh.  It draws warm moist air up from the southern states.  This warm moist air is lifted upward and soon circles Buffalo, NY where it meets freezing air swinging down from the north.  Bingo!  Conditions are perfect for super-cooled moist water droplets lifted by the low to stick the wings. 

Now, let's say that the low is situated over Boston.  The warm, moist air being sucked up from the southern states freezes by the time it swings counter clockwise over Montreal.  By the time this air swings downward over Buffalo, the moisture has already frozen, perhaps in the from of snow or sleet.  There are no more super cooled water droplets left to freeze on the wings!  Thus, the threat of air framing icing is minimal.

In summary, picture the center of the low as a clock.  If our training area is located anywhere from the 10am position to the 4pm position relative to the center of the low, icing is likely to occur. 

What if My Back Door Closes Down?

Good question . . . stuff, particularly in aviation, happens!  Let's suppose, despite the latest weather reports, you find the temperature at the MVA to be BELOW freezing and let's suppose that you're still in the clouds at the MVA.  ATC cannot vector you below the MVA, right?   Answer:  Wrong!

The controller can put you on an instrument approach that takes you right down to the surface.  Thus, if there is any question that your primary Back Door may not hold, do your flight training near an airport with an instrument approach.  If you encounter icing at the MVA, request an instrument approach to the airport and land . . . or descend into clear air, then cancel your IFR clearance and fly VFR back to your home airport.

It's Never as Simple as Black or White!

If you remain on the ground anytime the word icing is mentioned in the briefing, you won't fly from November to March.  Similarly, if you do not have the decision making skills necessary to make informed wintertime flying choices, you leave your flying outcomes to chance.  Neither of these approaches are prudent nor safe.  Instead, you should acquire a clear understanding of:

• (1) freezing levels and how they impact icing;

• (2) minimum vectoring altitudes (MVA) and the latitude they provide you to escape icing; and

• (3) the influence of low pressure areas on where icing will occur. 

If you have questions in any of these three important areas, contact your CFII before flying this winter.

Time to Debunk the Naysayers . . .

Everything talked about above falls under the category of aeronautical decision making and risk management assessment.  Critics of wintertime training in the clouds, even with the back doors described above, vigorously argue the FAR prohibitions against flight in known icing.  As a result, their students seldom experience wintertime IMC flight until after they are flying in the stuff by themselves!

Take a good look at what the FARs do say about icing:

FAR 91.527 says that No pilot may take of an airplane . . . under IFR into known or forecast moderate icing conditions . . . 

Icing is reported in four different levels of severity:  (1) trace; (2) light; (3) moderate; and (4) severe.  Note that the FAR specifically references moderate icing conditions.  While not understating the risks associated with trace or light icing, these lesser intensities are not addressed in the FAR prohibitions.

More importantly, however, is the fact the risks to flight safety associated with conducting flight training in wintertime clouds are LESS than the risks associated with failing to prepare instrument students for what they will likely encounter after completing their instruction.